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7th District


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The 7th District is the mythical home of Lake Wobegon. Garrison Keillor has often noted that he was inspired by the small town in Stearns County -- pretty much split between German Catholics and Norwegian Lutherans. This is farming country, and as one would expect, its fortunes are tied to agricultural issues. The region is depopulating as more people give up the land. The district covers most of the western part of the state. Some of the "wheat growing" area is still heavily DFL, while Norwegian territory, such as Otter Tail County, is Republican.

It was in this district that -- in 1958 -- Congresswoman Coya Knutson lost an election after her husband urged her to "come home and make breakfast." In the 2000 presidential election, district voters chose Republican and former Texas Gov. George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore. About 30.2 percent of residents in the 7th district make a living as doctors, lawyers, managers and other professionals and 24.5 percent work in 9-to-5 office jobs as salespeople, administrative assistants or secretaries, for example. Another 18.1 percent are employed in transportation and production, jobs courted by powerful unions.

Candidates

Document Michael Barrett (R)
Ken Lucier (Const.)
Document Collin Peterson (D)

District Information

District map
Median age: 42
School age: 20%
Age 65+: 17%
Percent below poverty: 10%
Per capita income: $17,602
Median housing value: $79,760
Percent unemployed: 3%
Percent minority: 7%
Percent college graduate: 10%
Percent less than high school diploma: 12%

The Money Race

CandidateFunds
Collin Peterson $809,983
Michael Barrett $34,126
Democrat Tim Walz spent his first day as 1st District congressman-elect with family and supporters in Mankato. Walz beat six-term Republican Gil Gutknecht in Tuesday's election. (11/08/2006)
Democrat Keith Ellison campaigned heavily against the war in Iraq, and has put environmental and health care issues at the top of his list of priorities. (11/08/2006)
Bachmann defeated Democrat Patty Wetterling in a hard-fought contest that will go down as the state's most expensive U.S. House race. (11/08/2006)
As a result of the Democrats' taking control of the U.S. House, Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, a DFLer from the 7th District, is in line to become chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. He spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer. (11/08/2006)
Minnesota's 3rd District Rep. Jim Ramstad joins Gary Eichten on Midday to discuss his decision to retire from Congress. (Midday, 09/27/2007)
Minnesota 8th District Congressman Jim Oberstar is about to become really important in the transportation world. As the ranking Democrat, Oberstar is expected to become chair of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January. (11/09/2006)
In one of the state's biggest election upsets, Minnesota's 1st Congressional District has gone democratic. First-time candidate Tim Walz won the race with 53 percent of the vote, defeating Republican six-term incumbent Gil Gutknecht. (11/08/2006)
Democrat Keith Ellison was elected as the nation's first Muslim member of Congress on Tuesday, easily winning a Minneapolis-area district Republicans had not carried since 1962. He is also Minnesota's first nonwhite representative in Washington. (11/07/2006)
The congressional candidate made the comments during tough questioning at a free-for-all forum in Andover, in the wake of an appearance at a church service last month in which she said "God called me to run for the United States Congress." (11/01/2006)
In less than a week, voters in Minnesota's 5th District will elect a new representative to Congress for the first time in nearly three decades. (11/01/2006)
The candidates for Congress in Minnesota's 2nd District -- incumbent Republican John Kline and his DFL challenger Colleen Rowley -- discuss the issues as part of Midday's "Meet the Candidates" series. (Midday, 11/01/2006)
U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., debates his DFL challenger, Wendy Wilde, as part of Midday's "Meet the Candidates" series. (Midday, 11/01/2006)
The race between U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., and his DFL challenger Tim Walz has been attracting national attention and money. Gutknecht and Walz sparred in a recent debate. (Midday, 10/31/2006)
Rep. Collin Peterson won the 7th Congressional District seat for the first time in 1990. In the past 16 years, the Democrat has solidified his bond with voters in the conservative district. This year he's challenged by Republican Michael Barrett. (10/31/2006)
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, one of the biggest names in the Democratic Party, spent Monday in Minnesota -- campaigning for Democrats and signing copies of his new book. The atmosphere at the book signing was worthy of a rock star. (10/30/2006)
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